“He’s Sorely Missed”: Dave Chappelle Remembers Paul Mooney

Dave Chappelle and other celebrities pay tribute to the late Paul Mooney.

On Wednesday morning journalist Roland S. Martin announced the death of the legendary comedian and writer Paul Mooney. Mooney’s cousin Rudy Ealy revealed the legendary comic suffered a heart attack Wednesday morning at his home in Oakland. Later that day, TMZ spoke with Dave Chappelle, who famously worked with Mooney on Chappelle’s Show.

“The best that ever did it passed away today,” he said. “His legacy will live forever. He did everything from The Richard Pryor Show to Chappelle’s Show. He was one of the first Black people ever in the Writer’s Guild. Paul Mooney will be sorely missed and wildly remembered. I’ll see to that.”

Mooney’s Twitter account posted the family’s gratitude for the public’s well wishes.

“Thank you all from the bottom of all of our hearts,” the tweet reads. “You’re all the best. Mooney World, the Godfather of Comedy–One Moon, Many Stars. To all in love with this great man, many thanks.”

“RIP the great Paul Mooney,” comedian Marc Maron wrote. “It was an honor to be a back of the room student for his late night master classes when I was a doorman back in the day.”

“You were both funny and poignant,” Viola Davis tweeted. “So happy to have witnessed your genius live. Rest well! Pour down some laughter here. We need it.”

“Our funky comedian brother Mr. Paul Mooney has changed frequencies to continue the future of real comedy in another world,” Bootsy Collins wrote on Instagram. “Thanks for the gifts and laughs you left us with.”